Fr. Todd’s Funeral Information

Funeral Mass:
The Funeral Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Robert Carlson at Santa Cruz Catholic Church at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, May 30th. The burial will follow at a grave site in Austin. There will be a reception after the graveside service at Santa Cruz.

The Rosary:
The Rosary will be at Santa Cruz Catholic Church in Buda, TX at 7:30 PM on Monday, May 29th, Msgr. Charles Elmer and Fr. Patrick Serna, presiding.

Donations, Condolences and Flowers:
In lieu of flowers people are encouraged to send donations to the Father Todd Memorial Fund. In addition to defraying the costs of the funeral and burial Fr. Todd’s family hopes to donate the funds to a charity that Father Todd supported. You may send donations to the following address:

If anyone chooses to send flowers they can be sent to the Funeral home at:
Cook-Walden / Capital Parks Funeral Home
14501 North IH 35
Pflugerville, TX 78660
512-251-4118

You may send cards and condolences for his family to:

c/o Bill Reitmeyer
107 Lakemont
Hutto, TX 78634

Fr. Todd’s family and friends appreciate all the comments so far and your outpouring of love. Thank you.

If you have any photos or videos with Father Todd, please send them as attachments to memorial4frtodd@mac.com for a slideshow we are preparing for the funeral reception.

Travel to Austin:
For those of you traveling to Austin, we have arranged a special rate of $79 (+tax) at The Fairfield Inn & Suites for the evening of the 29th. Call the hotel to make the reservation and mention that Mesh approved this bereavement rate. This Hotel has free Airport Shuttle.

Obituary:
If you click “continue reading…” below you can read Fr. Todd’s obituary from the Sioux Falls Diocesan Website which contains information about his family.Priest of the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese killed in Texas water accident(http://www.sfcatholic.org/reitmeyer.html)

Father Todd Reitmeyer, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls serving in Faulkton, Seneca and Orient, SD was killed in a jet ski accident while vacationing in Texas on May 24.

Father Reitmeyer is a native of the Austin, Texas area who was ordained a priest here in 2003. He was currently home to visit family and friends during his vacation. The accident occurred on Lake Travis near Austin.

Father Reitmeyer was born on May 13, 1969 to David and Phyllis Reitmeyer in Virginia. His father was in the military so the family moved some, but eventually settled in the Austin, Texas area. His father suffered a stroke and died in 1992. He graduated from Texas A&M, and earned a Masters degree in counseling from Northwest Missouri State. His discernment of his vocation led him to meet Bishop Robert Carlson, and eventually Todd moved to South Dakota, living in Faulkton with then pastor Father Terry Anderson for several months before entering the seminary. He attended St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul, MN before studying Theology at North American College in Rome.

He was ordained on June 13, 2003 at St. Joseph Cathedral by Bishop Robert Carlson. His first assignment was as associate pastor at St. Michael, Sioux Falls. He then became administrator of St. Michael, Herreid, St. Anthony, Selby and St. Joseph, Eureka where he served from January of 2004 until June of 2005. For the past year he has served as administrator at St. Thomas, Faulkton and St. Boniface, Seneca, as well as sacramental minister for St. Joseph, Orient. He served as spiritual director for St. Margaret Fellowship, the association of Catholic home school families since August 2003.

Father Todd is survived by his mother Phyllis Steiger of Rochester, MN; two brothers, William of Austin, TX and Thomas of College Station, TX; his sister, Christina Sheely of Coldwater, MI, and many friends. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Church of Santa Cruz, Buda, TX on Tuesday, May 30, 10:00 a.m. A Scripture service will be held at the Church Monday evening at 7:30. He will be buried at Assumption Cemetery, Austin, TX.

A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Joseph Cathedral, Sioux Falls, at noon on Wednesday, May 31, celebrated by Bishop Samuel Aquila, apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Sioux Falls.

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I will miss Fr. Todd very much. His homilies were informative, his since of humor was wonderful and his smile was infectious. When I talked to him I always knew he was really listening to me and cared. He talked me through the miscarrage of my first grandchild. God blessed Fr. Todd with a wonderful heart and I thank God for sharing him with us in Sioux Falls. My prayers are with his family.

Phyllis and Family,
Phyllis, we have been reeling in shock since your call on Thursday. We only met Todd twice, as an infant and at your Mom’s funeral just before his ordination. We know how much you love him and how proud you were of him. Our prayers and thoughts are with you. Thank God for our faith and his promise for Todd and for us. Our special friendship goes back a long way. We will not forget Todd and you and the rest of your family as you pray for God’s help in dealing with this loss to you and to Todd’s parish families. We know Todd is with God and hope someday to join him and pray for the strength to trust God’s plan for Todd that makes little sense to those who love him and are left behind.
Mary and Tom Welch

I am so sad to hear the news of Todd’s passing! I met Todd at a SMYRT retreat, right before his father died. Todd was a good friend at A&M and ever after. Humble and easygoing, he was so full of life and always ready to see the positive in a person. He is an amazing spirit and I am blessed for having known him. I am most grateful for his prayers during the early months of my third pregnancy. I will truly miss him! God bless his family and close friends in their mourning.

I am so very sorry to hear of Fr. Todd’s passing from this world, but celebrate his union with the Father and Savoir in the next. My deepest condolances go out to his family. He was a good man and I pray for their peace.

Fr. Todd was one of those rare individuals who not only professed the slogans of the organizations that he belonged to, he believed in them and lived them. Whether it was the code of Conduct of his beloved Texas A&M or the creed and moral guides of the Catholic Church Fr. Todd was extremely passionate, totally committed and completely accountable. If you could only pick one guy in the world to be in your corner, Fr. Todd would be both the guy you wanted and the friend who wanted to be there. I will miss him.

To all of Fr. Todd’s family
We share in your sorrow. Fr. Todd was with us in Seneca when he was a seminarian and again as a priest. He was so good with our youth. God had other plans for him even though we may not understand. We wish he would have stayed with us longer. We will miss him a lot. Some day we will understand why God called Fr Todd to him before we were ready.
God Bless all of you – we share in his sorrow. Thanks for sharing him with us
Jim & Kathy Bitzer & famulu
PS if you would like some pictures of Fr Todd, please let us know/

To the loved ones of Father Todd. I met the Good Father over the xbox live of all places. I met him when he was still in school he and Father Jaffe were my very first friends on the live. He told me he had to go to Rome and would talk to me soon. When he came back he came on and said Lady I’m back. We talked and he told me he was now a Catholic Priest. Imagine the people you meet anywhere. Grunt Padre his gamer tag will always be near and dear to me. We exchanged emails for over 3 years now. He always wrote me little lines saying I’m not dead…When I got the email today I saved it for last because I knew it would be uplifting because it was from Father Todd not the case…Father Todd (Grunt Padre) you will be truelly missed by all of the live and by House Euphrates. Rest in Peace Father. Much Love to your family. Lady Darksky.

I saw your request for photos. There will be photos from Fr. Todd’s time in Eureka as well as Faulkton coming with our representatives to his funeral on Tuesday.
God bless you all . . . I was happy to see Romans 8:28 on the initial notice of his death. I recently spent an afternoon playing Scrabble with a group (including Fr. Todd) and that was his theme for the day. It is also my favorite verse. I truly believe it, even when we have no idea how.
Laura Melius

I came here via friends in the blogosphere. What a tragedy! Yet as people of faith we are called to find God in the midst of it. It was said of a friend of mine who died “before his time” that he lived intensely. It seems the same can be said of Todd and like this other friend he also lived selflessly.

May he rest in peace, and may his family and friends know the love of God and the embrace of Todd’s larger circle of love upholding them during this time and the days ahead…

While Fr. Todd was in seminary at Rome, I was in the American Navy, stationed in Naples. Being in the chaplain’s program, he came to our base often. I first met Todd at a dinner that our command chaplain hosted, and in the three or four years that followed we became close friends. He stayed with me at my house in Pozzuolli at least a dozen times (once at about 2am he helped me put to bed my roommate who was an occasionally drunken sailor, and, much to my delight, the son of a Southern Baptist preacher.)

Most of my friends in the Navy were rambunctious and lapsed Protestants, but they all loved Todd. They’d ask when he was coming down from Rome next, and if they could come to dinner when he was there. Unlike some of us, who try to plant the seeds of the Gospel, Todd was happy to plant fully grown trees, and these guys seemed to enjoy the challenges Todd presented for them.

I posted already on the 25 May blog…this one is to relate a story or two about our beloved priest.

I remember during one of my visits with Fr Todd, perhaps when he was still in seminary, relating to him that a priest friend had graciously celebrated Mass with my family in our home in Washington, DC. He seemed to question the idea, as if inside his head he wasn’t sure it was right to have Mass in someone’s apartment. He related to me later having spoken to his Bishop about this…and the Bishop’s response had to do with the domestic church and that celebrating Mass in the home could be a good idea. So what did the newly ordained Fr Reitmeyer do when he visited us in Louisiana? Celebrate Mass in our home!

I am in the military. Fr Todd wanted to be, too. He wanted to be a chaplain. So, during one of our (too infrequent) visits after his ordination, he told me, as I recall, he had received a reserve commission in the Navy. He was an ensign or a lieutenant. Being a captain in the Air Force, I joked, “Now you have to call me ‘Sir’!” He didn’t like that and shot back, “You have to call me ‘Father’.” Of course, I knew that.

I am deeply sorry to learn of the death of Fr. Todd. I knew him in the late 1990’s when I was teaching at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX. He seemed outstanding in every way.I remember how excited Todd was about moving to South Dakota and being in the diocese of the wonderful Bishop Carlson. As things turned out, I moved to MI in 1999 to teach at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, and we now have the great Bishop Carlson in Saginaw,MI. We must trust that God has reasons for Fr. Todd’s early and tragic death. Let us pray for the repose of his soul. Let’s hope that Fr. Todd is praying for us from heaven in the company of Mary and all the saints. May we be found worthy to join him in glory.

Family and friends of dear Father Reitmeyer, please accept my heartfelt condolences. I’m one of those who do not know Father Reitmeyer personally, but only through this blog. Our Church has lost a good priest (as so many of the preceding comments have attested to) and our online Catholic community of St. Blog’s Parish will remember him and all those he loved and served in our prayers.

Father Todd spent time at Dell Rapids St. Mary Catholic Parish. I enjoyed his passion for God and his love of our school children and their families. I enjoyed his ordination and it seemed to fulfill the beauty and love in his heart.
Father Todd touched many lives in his life and we are better for it. You are in our prayers Father Todd!

Our deepest sympathy to Father Todds family. My grand daughter was born in Sioux Falls, SD. Father Todd seemed like a wonderful man and I know his soul is with Jesus. That is our only comfort. God Bless all of you and give you peace.

I met Fr. Todd when he became a seminarian for the Diocese of Sioux Falls. I could tell immediately that he was very intelligent and very excited about becoming a priest. I could not wait for him to be ordained. I was honored when Bishop Carlson asked me to be his mentor for his first assignment as an administrator of three parishes. We got to be close friends.

The announcement of his fatal accident shocked me. It “took the wind out of my sails”. His being with me for only the short while of just over three years, reminds me of our Lord leaving His disciples after just over three years as He ascended into heaven.

I lost a personal friend and the Church lost a priest who was an effective evangelizer and teacher of the faith. He loved the Truth of the gospel and proclaimed it with love and conviction whether or not it was popular. It was apparently time for him to leave this earth and change the way he helps to fulfill the “great commission” by being a holy priest soul in prayer for us.

My prayer continues for Fr. Todd, his family and friends, and for all those who are suffering this tragic loss of a faithful priest of Jesus Christ.

I attended Mass in Selby, South Dakota when Father Todd was the parish priest. My husband and I always looked forward to his meaningful sermons that usually ended with: The choice is yours, choose wisely. Father Todd chose wisely. He devoted his life to Christ and helping others. Just a little Fr. Todd story: The 1st Easter he was in Selby he overslept and had to be called at his home 30 miles away. Of course, we never let him forget about sleeping through two alarm clocks and showing up a hour late for Mass! We will pray for him and his family.

I remember Todd from Rome, when he was a seminarian at the North American College and I was doing graduate work at the Casa Santa Maria. He was a hulk of a man with a heart to match.
May the Lord who called him to share in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ and who has now called him home, embrace his soul with pure love and grant him eternal rest. My prayers have been with you during this difficult time.

I would check Father’s blog from time to time. He was the real deal: a young, enthusiastic ambassador of Christ. He will be sorely missed. May God grant Him eternal rest and comfort his family and parish.

I first met Father Todd when I was a sophmore at St. John Vianney Seminary. I was in the process of unpacking at the beginning of the academic year. I heard a booming voice from down the hall ask “who here is from College Station?” I stuck my head out the door, and there was now Father Todd in shorts, a t-shirt, and his senior Aggie boots!

The impact Father Todd had on my life is immeasurable. I will always remember his kindness, his laughter, and his love for the church.

To all his family and fellow friends, know that you are in my prayers, and may God give you the peace and love we need during this difficult time.

I first met Fr. Todd in the summer of 1994. At the Time, he was the Camp Director of the Capitol area Council’s Equestrian ranch in Dripping Springs, Tx. and carried the moniker of “Mr. Todd”. I learned so much about work and love of humanity from this man. His dedication to helping others inspires me to this day. He will be sorely missed. Although I had lost contact with Fr. Todd over the years, it is wonderful to see how his work and love of life has touched so many.

I first met Fr. Todd at my fathers funeral in Herreid. I was very impressed with Fr. Todd. He spent alot time with our family during those difficult days. I remember Fr. being very fussy about what he could and couldn’t eat at my moms. He was fasinating to listen to, he was someone you could listen to for hours. Whenever I came back to Herreid Fr. Todd always told me that it was nice to see me back visiting my mother. I was heart broken by the news, but we all know Fr. Todd is in better place and someday we will be able to visit with Fr. Todd again. He has touched alot of peoples lives. May Fr. Todd live in all of us.

It has been quite painful to accept the death of such a dear person. We at Sacred Heart Church in Austin, were lucky enough to have worked with Todd before he entered the Seminary. He was such a wonderful, happy and dynamic person, loving and accepting of everybody, got along with all especially the young people of our parish.
Because of his work, our youth were able to go to “World Youth Day” in Paris France. When our beloved Pope John Paul said he hoped to be at the next World Youth Day, Todd said: “He will be, you’ll see”. He was.
We missed him dearly when he left our parish but knew of his love for God and wished him well. He visited us as a Seminaran while on vacation from Rome, he was so happy to be on his way to becoming a priest.
And now, sadly, we offer our deepest symphaty to his family and congregation. You must be in terrible pain and complete disbelief at such tragedy.
Please know, our prayers are with you. We too loved this wonderful person you knew as Fr. Todd, HE WILL BE MISSED.
angelica.

I always thought Fr. Todd was a saint, but after hearing his fellow priests talk about him, I realize how holy this man really was.

I dearly hope that if Fr. Serna’s reflection was recorded it will be posted on this website. The men I travelled home with are very learned Catholics. We all agreed that the ceremony was exemplary and should be used for instruction in seminaries.

Not only that, but his talk sure did convict me about living a sacramental life just like Fr. Todd.

Apparently, Fr. Todd was very devoted to the Sacrament of Penance. His one goal in life was to die in a state of grace and get to heaven. Fr. Serna said that he was told Fr. Todd went to confession the day before the accident. He said that Fr. Todd went to confession at least once a week because, as Fr. Todd would say, “I do not want that imposter, Death, to catch me unprepared.” Fr. Serna said that teh seminarians would kid Fr. Todd about being paranoid about death. They would kinda laugh. But, as Fr. Serna said so beautifully at the rosary, “Who’s laughing now? Fr. Todd is. And it is a joyful laugh for all eternity.”

What a blessed soul to be given the grace of making your final peace with God before departing this earth. Even so, Fr. SErna said if Fr. Todd was able to speak from beyond, he’d be saying, “You better lift up Masses for me and rosaries, too.” How awesome to hear “Praying for the Dead”! Souls in Puragtory rejoice when this message is preached!

This is only a snip of what Fr. Serna said. I ran through his talk in my mind a dozen times on the way home because I didn’t want to forget any of it.

I was expecting a hard, depressing time ahead of me as I entered Santa Cruz. Instead, I left charged and feeling like I wanted to be a saint.

I always thought Fr. Todd was a saint, but after hearing his fellow priests talk about him, I realize how holy this man really was.

I dearly hope that if Fr. Serna’s reflection was recorded it will be posted on this website. The men I travelled home with are very learned Catholics. We all agreed that the ceremony was exemplary and should be used for instruction in seminaries.

Not only that, but his talk sure did convict me about living a sacramental life just like Fr. Todd.

Apparently, Fr. Todd was very devoted to the Sacrament of Penance. His one goal in life was to die in a state of grace and get to heaven. Fr. Serna said that he was told Fr. Todd went to confession the day before the accident. He said that Fr. Todd went to confession at least once a week because, as Fr. Todd would say, “I do not want that imposter, Death, to catch me unprepared.” Fr. Serna said that teh seminarians would kid Fr. Todd about being paranoid about death. They would kinda laugh. But, as Fr. Serna said so beautifully at the rosary, “Who’s laughing now? Fr. Todd is. And it is a joyful laugh for all eternity.”

What a blessed soul to be given the grace of making your final peace with God before departing this earth. Even so, Fr. SErna said if Fr. Todd was able to speak from beyond, he’d be saying, “You better lift up Masses for me and rosaries, too.” How awesome to hear “Praying for the Dead”! Souls in Puragtory rejoice when this message is preached!

This is only a snip of what Fr. Serna said. I ran through his talk in my mind a dozen times on the way home because I didn’t want to forget any of it.

I was expecting a hard, depressing time ahead of me as I entered Santa Cruz. Instead, I left charged and feeling like I wanted to be a saint.

I had the honor of meeting Father Todd on two occasions. Once while I was his brothers roommate in Austin and again during Bill’s wedding. It was a pleasure talking to him and I could tell that Bill had great respect for his big brother.
To the Reitmeyer family.
I pray that God eases your pain during this time of need, knowing that Father Todd touched so many lives.

Jesse and Todd were friends when I met and married Jesse. Todd caught the garter at our wedding. I will never forget how dashing he looked in his uniform from A&M. He was a remarkable man. We lost touch until he invited us to his ordination. We never got to see him again, but followed his blog so that we would know how he was doing. His concern was always for everyone else. We admire that about him. Even though it had been awhile since we had seen him, his passing leaves a hole in our hearts. Please know that our prayers are with his family and that we send much love.

Thank you for sharing Fr. Todd’s eulogy with the readership, Fr. Patrick Serna. What a beautiful, moving and inspired tribute to a beautiful and faith-filled man who so powerfully loved Our Lord and Our Lady and yearned longingly for Heaven. I feel like I just got to know him a whole lot better.

Through your words, I continue to learn from Fr. Todd how to be a good Catholic Christian and how to draw closer to God. I have been inspired to be more vigilant and better prepared at all times, as he was, for our return Home. I have been made more mindful of the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to go to it often in order to be a state of Grace. Like Fr. Todd, I will be a prayer warrior woman for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. I will follow his lead and imitate him by seeking indulgences for them. Yes, I can see that Fr. Todd will continue to be my teacher and role model.

There are no accidents, no coincidences. Just God’s Divine Plan. I thank the Lord for directing me here to Fr. Todd’s website to learn lifetime spiritual lessons, not only when he was here on Earth, but now as well, when he is in Our Lord and Our Lady.

I am so grateful that you were wearing that tee shirt. Mary, Exterminatrix of Heresies,
ora pro nobis. She was doing exactly that and I visualize her holding Fr. Todd in her arms. He is Home!

God bless you, Father Patrick, for responding to her call. Next month, I am returning to Medjugorje to thank her for leading me to her Son. I was called there through a series of “coincidences” as an unbaptized, “spiritual, but not religious” seeker. I will return next month as a baptized Catholic, burning with a love for The Holy Trinity, The Holy Family, our priests, the Eucharist,and our Church. My husband and I are two fruits of that peace-filled place. I will especially be praying for you, Fr. Todd, and his family and friends at the foot of a cross on a mountaintop where I was converted. She is there at dawn…greeting the day.

Aloha `oe, Fr. Todd, until we meet again. Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Dear Phyllis, Todd’s family and friends,
I only met Todd once. I believe Delano and Jen recommended that Beth and I contact him on our 2001 trip to Rome celebrating our 25th anniversary. After buying him lunch, he graciously gave us a tour of St. Peter’s and the Vatican.
Sharing a strong commitment to Catholicism, our conversations were lively. The faith creates bonds even with relative strangers. Todd was generous with his time and energy that day. His commitment to serve the Church was quite obvious and edifying. We spoke about him often to others as we recalled our Rome experience.
We are returning to Italy June 8. We will pray for him and for all of you when we again visit the Vatican.
May his place among the Communion of Saints bring comfort and joy amid your many memories.
Charlie Balsam
Adult & Family Ministry
St. Louis parish, Austin.

As a member of the KC Honor Guard, I met Fr. Todd at his First Mass @ Santa Cruz Church in Buda, Tx. and had a brief visit with him as he was to serve in the South Dakota area where some of my relatives live. I was also priveliged to be in his Funeral Honor Guard. His brief Priestly life is an example for other young men who want to serve the Church.

Fr. Todd and I go back to high school. I remember him in so many ways — always faithful, caring, High morals, integrity, and a man who had a heart for the Lord. I could see Jesus living in him and through him. I thank the Lord everytime I remember him – Phil. 1:3-6. He put the Lord first and bless so many people. There’s a verse that comforts me when I think of Todd going home to be with the Lord — John 11:25 “I am the resurection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? —- Wow — I know Todd will be in heaven and what good place — When you have accepted the Lord Jesus in your heart as Lord and Savior and believe in Him _– Rom 10:9 — the word says you are saved — amen — even though my brother has died a physical death — he won’t die a spiritual death but will have a new body and be in a greater place. To his family — what a wonderful son and I ‘ll be praying for you. God Bless — Brad Matt 6:33

We are so sorry for your loss. Father Todd was a wonderful inspiration to the younger people of the St. Anthony’s parish in Selby. He married us in August of 2004, and we couldn’t have asked for a better preist! I am sure he will be greatly missed, but he is in Heaven where he can look upon us now! Our prayers are with you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Well Fr. Todd has been laid to eternal rest, and is still continuing to work. He always wanted me to go back to the Catholic church, and I had vowed to do so upon his death. As I left the house the morning of May 25th, I grabbed my scapular as weel as my rosary that Todd had blessed for me while in Rome. They were hanging on my picture of Pope John Paul II, with dust on them I will admit. I went to confession and will continue on that journey, to be my brother’s side in eternity someday. To make sure that I do this he has established a relationship with my local priest in Coldwater, MI. I have a friend who attends the church and she had asked him to pray for me for “her brother passed away a few days ago.” He asked my brother’s name. “He was Father Todd..” and he finished her sentence with “Reitmeyer” as he got tears in his eyes! He has been a blog reader for years! So, he’s making sure I have no way out! He has also been trying to help me and my husband with adopting an infant. We got a call today, and when we arrive home, we get a 5 month old healthy baby boy, appropriately named..Austin.